


Growing Up

by Stormchild



Series: Snapshots [1]
Category: Young Justice
Genre: Substance Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-24
Updated: 2013-07-24
Packaged: 2017-12-21 04:35:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/895861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormchild/pseuds/Stormchild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At nine years old, Roy is running around sun burnt with bare feet and climbing on whatever he can. Roy Harper's life in snapshots.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Growing Up

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I wrote for my clone!Roy Harper roleplay blog. So it's obviously based on my interpretation of him.

At nine years old, Roy is running around sun burnt with bare feet and climbing on whatever he can. He’s making quick bows with tree branches and string and he’s the best damn shot on the reserve. He’s too pale and too freckled to properly fit in but he’s too energetic and too compassionate with a too loud laugh not to try.

At fourteen, he’s alone in the world except for the rich weirdo to whom he tells as they drive up to the driveway, “I’m not calling you dad." His eyes are wide as ever behind the mask as he’s introduced to members of the Justice League. Ollie can’t tell if the kid’s chatty in general or just excited as he tries to keep calm, which is easier said than done because _holy shit Superman’s a real guy_ and _dammit Ollie don’t tell Batman I was teasing him this morning_ and _oh my God I see why they call her Wonder - ow! -_ and _Ollie, why are there so many Green Lanterns and why do they dress the same how are you supposed to tell which is which?_

At sixteen, Roy’s signing Ollie up for Millionaire Matchmaker for the third time. It’s not that he doesn’t like Ollie’s new girlfriend - but really, what kind of costume is fishnets and a jacket and who the hell’s supposed to be afraid of a canary? - he just isn’t used to “Look I can’t train with you tonight I have a date I know I said I would but dammit Roy don’t you have any friends you can hang out with?" So Roy gives him a black eye to go with his tie and spends the better part of the next few weeks in Gotham, helping Dick with his homework in between rounds of ‘Who’s mentor is the biggest asshole’. Bruce doesn’t seem to mind but that doesn’t mean he isn’t relieved when Dinah shows up on a shiny new motorcycle and tells Roy that she’s been meaning to teach him to ride for a while. When they pull into Ollie’s driveway, he can’t help but note that he hadn’t heard Roy laugh like that in a while.

By the time he hits nineteen, Ollie can’t remember the last time he heard the kid laugh properly. He tells him, “You’re too serious, it was just a joke," and Roy’s only response is a dark glare and a short, “Get the fuck out of my apartment." Ollie can’t bring himself to remind Roy that he’s paying for this apartment. Roy can’t have many more lamps to throw at him by this point. He begs Dinah to check on him, though he doesn’t need to ask twice. When he asks Kaldur how Roy’s been, the Atlantean assures him that Roy’s doing fine. As the years go by, Ollie can’t bring himself to ask anymore.

At twenty, he still looks like himself. He’s angrier, and no-one can blame him. But the League moves on and as much as it kills him, Ollie does too.

At twenty-one, Roy is screaming and throwing punches and demanding to know why no-one is helping him anymore. He shrugs off Dinah’s attempted comfort with a cold look that could make even Mr. Freeze shiver. Ollie has to fight tears because how can he put into words that he would rather not look at all anymore than find a body in a way that Roy, too young and too old at the same time, would understand? But Roy won’t listen so Ollie has to watch him storm out again. Dinah finds him later that night, drowning in alcohol in Roy’s old room and wondering what in God’s name did the Light do to his boy to make him this way.

At twenty-two, he’s alone in the world except for the crazy assassin who won’t give up on him. He’s heartbroken and betrayed because Kaldur’s gone and joined the Light. Jade’s not completely sure, but she suspects that’s half the reason they wound up in Vegas, drunk enough to think that getting married is a good idea. He’s still half drunk when he sends the texts about it to Ollie.

> got married
> 
> ur daughter in law is artemis’s sister
> 
> cheshire
> 
> you know the assassin
> 
> don’t tell mom

Ollie isn’t sure if he’s crying because his boy’s married or because he married a fucking assassin or because he referred to Dinah as mom. He pretends he doesn’t catch a glimpse of track marks on Roy’s arm the next time he sees him and he tries not to blame Jade but only because Artemis assures him that Jade seems to actually give a shit about Roy. And Jade wishes the track marks weren’t there as much as Ollie does. But the one and only time she tried to make him quit, she came home and found him crying with a gun in his mouth and it was hours before she could calm him down again. So she lets Roy self-medicate because she knows he’s careful when he’s alone and an overdose might not kill him but a bullet through his skull definitely would.

He’s twenty-three, and one of his best friends is dead. He can’t help but notice that just like no-one did anything when they found out the real Roy was taken or when Jason was killed _("They were just kids, you fucking moron!")_ , no-one is doing anything now. Not in his eyes, at least. They’re thanking their Gods that Luthor was able to help and Roy has to wonder if anyone remembers that this is his fucking fault in the first place. Jade promises him that she won’t let Luthor hurt him, but Roy isn’t afraid for himself. He’s already lost one friend to him. And Kaldur’s back but Roy’s seen the tired look in his eyes and it isn’t the same because Roy can’t stop wondering _why the fuck didn’t you tell me why the fuck didn’t you say goodbye?_ And Kaldur has no answers and there’s no spot on Roy that he can look at without being reminded of just how badly he let his friend down. Dick’s gone his own way too and Roy wishes he’d spent more time with the little shit when he still laughed at his own word play.

_Roy’s twenty-four when Dinah finds him. They say it’s why she can’t scream anymore. Ollie’s barely sober at the funeral. Jade doesn’t miss the dirty look he shoots her. Paula holds Dinah’s hand, whispering that “he was like a son to me too". Artemis wishes the look on Jade’s face was less murderous because she’s aware of the suspicious look in Bruce’s eye as he holds a hand on Dick’s shaking shoulder. Jade shakes her head and makes her way over to Kaldur and even though she hates him for the way he broke Roy’s heart, she presses her lips to Kaldur’s ear and whispers, “This was no accident." She leaves it at that, and he’s left alone to wonder if his friend has finally found peace._

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at mechanicalpoet.tumblr.com.


End file.
